May 29, 2009
Cuomo Widens a Probe Into Immigration Fraud
By KIRK SEMPLE and JENNY MANRIQUE
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo said Thursday that his office had issued more than 50 subpoenas to individuals and businesses in New York City — including numerous immigrant-assistance organizations, a travel agency, an English-language school and a church — as part of a widening investigation into immigration fraud.

Customers have complained that the businesses and their directors have masqueraded as legitimate providers of immigrant services, many offering legal aid they are not authorized or able to provide, officials in Mr. Cuomo’s office said. Some immigrants told investigators that they were falsely promised permanent residency or American citizenship, even though the firms or individuals were not qualified to secure such benefits.

“Immigrant communities across New York City continue to be put in jeopardy by unscrupulous individuals and organizations offering them nothing more than empty promises and false hopes,â€